iPhone newbies - Landscape keyboard?

New to iPhone I want to see if I can transfer my Blackberry (2) "thumb typing" to the iPhone landscape mode rather than the "one finger jab" (or one thumb) vertical keyboard method I see so many iPhone owners doing..

Overall from on line forums, I get the impression iPhone veterans have learned to use the vertical method and are settled with it. Some 'poo poo' the landscape mode as valueless.. but some admit that if they have something long or really important - they do shift over to use to landscape mode..

But now landscape is standard in all aps - I think I will give that a try.. type everything in landscape.. see if I can get some good speeds going..

Aint got the phone yet - just speculatin!

Moved over summer of 09 from Blackberry 8900 to iPhone 3GS. Still not finding typing as easy and badly want a spall chakker. But appart from that it's all good.

I use both of my thumbs in portrait mode and am fast with it.
I have big hands too.
I've gotten so used to it, that I'm actually faster in portrait than I am in landscape. But I'm trying to make the transition. haha.

I'm also new to iphone (having switched from BB curve) and am still trying to determine which works best for me. I purposely waited until the new OS was out b/c I wanted to be able to type in landscape.

two thumbs and big hands in portrait, I didnt think that would ever be possible!

Originally Posted by cdnrs2002

I'm also new to iphone (having switched from BB curve) and am still trying to determine which works best for me. I purposely waited until the new OS was out b/c I wanted to be able to type in landscape.

Yeah we are both on the same page with this... Only time will tell! Lets see how we get on and report back in while.. We might get bored with tipping the device sideways all the time..

Moved over summer of 09 from Blackberry 8900 to iPhone 3GS. Still not finding typing as easy and badly want a spall chakker. But appart from that it's all good.

I also came over from a BB (almost a year ago). LOVE the new landscape mode - typing a lot faster than I was in portrait mode
Just to let you know, the landscape keyboard isn't available in "all" applications - mainly in Messages, E-mail, and Notes, which is where we need it

I think I am in a pretty similar situation, I am just a few days ahead of you. I am on iPhone day #3, coming from a dearly loved BB8310. I really liked the physical keyboard and all the little BB shortcuts. My main reservation was the virtual keyboard of the iPhone. I can comfortably 2 thumb type in landscape mode, and find that the single finger peck in portrait mode is actually getting much easier as time goes by. So, i think that you will be fine. I do miss the "Back" arrow that was right by the trackball on my BB. I get tired of going back out to the homescreen, but that is OK.

What I really miss is the profiles I could set up for notifications on the BB. This seems more limited on the iPhone, unless I am missing something.

i came over by the bold and can type almost as fast on my iphone with 2 thumbs as i could on my bold. i really like the landscape, but i think that because its the same size as the bold, the portrait seems to work a little better for me. i'm glad to have the option to use either though.

I use portrait all the time. I use both thumbs even with fairly large hands and type very quickly. I really don't use landscape because it hasn't been an option most of the time that I have had my phone, and do no feel the need to learn a new keyboard after already mastering portrait.

I am currently in the process of switching over from Verizon and BB Storm to the iPhone. I was loving the landscape mode for the Storm to type messages and what not. I was somewhat discouraged today because I was using my iPod Touch to send a message and tried to turn it for a landscape mode and it wasn't there! Then I had to do my research and find out it will be with the new 3GS I'm hoping to receive this week.

I like landscape mode but was finding myself trusting the suretype more and more while in portrait mode. I'll give them both a shot when the iPhone gets here.

I type more in portrait mode than landscape mode. I also type with two thumbs and also have large fingers. It has become a challenge to me to be able to type in portrait mode just as quickly and accurately in portrait mode as I do in landscape mode. I have gotten a lot better since getting my iPhone about six days ago. I remember typing on my friends iPhone before I got mine. It was a dismal experience. I thought that I could never buy an iPhone because I would never be able to type on it. Now I type faster and more accurately than I did with my BlackBerry Bold. Portrait mode all the way.

I prefer portrait view. The letters are spaced too far apart in landscape mode. I feel I have to reach to get to some of the letters. I have become accustomed to the distances in portait mode. Yes I have big fingers so it is not a size thing

On another note. I have noticed that when I am typing on my computers keyboard, that I am expecting auto correction to capitalize the first letter in the sentence. I am also expecting it to auto capitalize the letter "I". Apple needs to implement this into their laptops and desktops.

I prefer landscape mode for long things, but portrait for the quick texts or emails I send.

Originally Posted by chobbs1

On another note. I have noticed that when I am typing on my computers keyboard, that I am expecting auto correction to capitalize the first letter in the sentence. I am also expecting it to auto capitalize the letter "I". Apple needs to implement this into their laptops and desktops.

i came from a blackberry storm, i was used to landscape mode. now im the opposite, i find it much faster and easier to type in portrait mode. its just easier, don't have to reach as far...

+1

The people who were poo pooing about having landscape pre 3.0 were just not efficient type-ers.

I type so much faster in portrait just from all the keys being closer together and just let the iPhone correct the rest which is pretty damn efficient!

It drives me crazy from people still typing incorrectly on the iPhone keypad (tap aiming every key and backspacing when typed incorrectly)...it takes too much "energy" and lack of speed typing that way.